We turned to our own turned to our own “backyard” in the Pacific Northwest to continue our hunt for the extraordinary. We are proud to showcase this domestic tea grown right here in Northwest. It will come as no surprise that North American teamakers are pushing the envelope on traditional tea cultivation techniques.
Crafted by the hands of Mr. Henger, this is a domestic tea like nothing else in the world. The buds and young leaves are harvested from wild Pacific Northwest Alder trees and processed using Chinese black tea techniques. A true micro-batch innovation with notes of rose, pine resin and sun-dried tomatoes. American teamaking at its finest.
Origin: Chehalis, Washington
Elevation: 250 Feet
Variety: Red Alder
Teamaker: Balazs Henger
Harvest: July, 15 2022
Tasting Notes:Rose, pine resin, sun-dried tomatoes
For Western brewing, this tea can be brewed for single infusions using 2.5 grams of tea (or a big pinch, the leaves are quite large) per 8 ounces of 195 degree water and steeped for five minutes.
For gaiwan brewing, place 7 grams of tea leaves into 150 ml (5 ounce) gaiwan. Bring spring or freshly drawn filtered water to a boil (212 degrees). Fill your gaiwan to the top and let the leaves steep for 10-20 seconds. Set the strainer on top of the decanter and pour the tea out of the gaiwan with the lid slightly askew, without allowing the tea leaves to escape. Serve into small cups and repeat this process at least 4-5 times and notice how the tea leaves change in flavor over each infusion.
